Secrets of the invisibility cloak
by boshrocks
Summary: Put bored Gryffindors together and what do you get? secrets revealed and arguements galore. set in sixth year. read and review please. i dont mind flames but i prefer not to get them.
1. An idea

Have you ever wondered what members of the opposite sex talk about when members of their opposite sex are out of the room?

This is question Hermione has just put to Ginny as they sat, immensely bored, in the Gryffindor common room one Saturday night.

Ginny was silent for a moment as she digested this. Then she said "What?"

Hermione started explaining it but then she stopped and closed her eyes. Somehow she had managed to confuse herself and could go no further.

"Oh screw it! What do you think boys talk about when we're not there?"

"I don't know. You would have a better idea than I would. You are best friends with two guys."

"Your brother may have taken four years to realize I was a girl but Harry noticed and I noted that he always stopped Ron when I entered the conversation, so I never found out. Haven't you ever wondered though?"

"Well, yes. Who hasn't?"

"Want to find out?" was Hermione's provocative question.

"How? We'd have to be invisible."

"We can be. Harry leant me his invisibility cloak to see if I could find a way to fix it."

"What's wrong with it?"

"Nothing. He was just tired of being able to be heard while he was under it."

"Have you fixed it?"

"No. But that doesn't stop us from using it. We could do it now. The guys are in their dorm. And we've nothing better to do."

"I agree. We should definitely do it."

Neither moved.

"Now?"

"Now."

Two minutes later the door of the girls dorm opened and closed of it's own accord.

The boy's door caused a few problems. The girls paused outside it.

"Wait. We can't just walk in. That'll be so suspicious if the door opens by itself." Ginny said thinking hard. "I know, we could make a commotion out here and then they would open the door to see what the problem is and we could sneak past them."

"Too risky. Got it!" Hermione raised her wand tip to her throat and spoke in McGonnagal's voice "Professor McGonnagal would like to see all Gryffindor's in the common room immediately please."

The girls withdrew to the far wall as the boys trooped out of their dorm and headed down the stairs. The girls took off the cloak and headed towards the door.

"Okay, let's go."

"That was an inspired touch Hermione."

"Sh! They'll be back soon. As soon as they realize it was a false alarm. Lets sit in that window seat. The one between Harry and Dean's beds. It looks like that's where the boys were nesting for the night's employment."

As they made their way across the room the door started to creak open. They dived back under the cloak and froze in place. The boys walked around them and it was a miracle they missed the girls.

The boys settled back to their games. Harry and Ron were playing Wizard Chess on Harry's bed and Dean, Seamus and Neville were playing exploding snap on Dean's.

Carefully the girls tried to make their way across the room to the window but they knocked over a table that stood in completely the wrong place. The boys looked up puzzled.

"Damn wind."

"Inside, Dean?"

"I don't know. Could be a draught. This is a castle."

"Anyway, what was McGonnagal up to? She calls us down for a meeting but when we get there the others say that she never did. Very odd."

"Never mind Harry. It was your move wasn't it?"

The girls moved across the room again and this time they reached the window without arousing suspicion.

Dean's lot were talking about the upcoming Quidditch match against Ravenclaw. Ginny listened to this one as they were talking about tactics and Ginny thought she might memorize them so she could show them all up and pretend that she came up with all of them.

Hermione gave her a hard poke in the ribs and pointed to Harry's bed.

"So, Ron, any luck with your girl yet?" Harry said winking hard at Ron.

"What's this?" Neville looked up curiously as their pack of cards blew up setting the bed alight. Dean and Seamus hastened to put it out.

"So Ron, which lady do you have your eye on this fortnight?" Seamus said winking at Dean.

"I'm not telling you. You'll laugh at me."

"No we won't."

"It can't be worse than last time. Remember? He got a crush on Pansy Parkinson!"

"No!" Ginny exclaimed and Hermione clamped her hand over her mouth with a warning look.

"Harry knows. Why don't you tell us, Harry?"

Harry looked at Ron as though asking for permission. Ron gave a small nod and assumed a resigned look. He knew that even if Harry didn't tell them they would find out anyway. Best get it over quickly.

"The girl Ron has a crush on is…"


	2. Naughty boys

"The girl Ron has a crush on is… Luna."

"LUNA!" Everyone, including the girls exclaimed.

Only Harry seemed to notice more than three voices present, but he shrugged it off and decided to help his best friend.

"You can't be surprised Dean. You're carrying on with two women!"

Next to Hermione Ginny gasped. After several days of watching Dean grovel she had accepted him back and they had been dating for months now.

"What? No I'm not!"

"Yes you are! I saw you snogging Lavender yesterday!"

"Lavender? But she's MY girlfriend!"

There is a saying somewhere that goes 'If looks could kill, then this one would.' It is very appropriate to use this here as the look Seamus was shooting at Dean meant that poor Dean would have kicked the bucket, pushed up the daisies, been six feet under and serenely Resting in Peace.

Dean was avoiding Seamus' gaze. Perhaps he thought that if he didn't catch the death glare then he would not be pushing up the daisies.

"Anyway," he said glaring at Harry "you shouldn't make accusations like that when I know what you've been up to!"

"And what have I been up to? Please tell me for I do not know." Harry feigned innocence to provoke Dean. Clearly he already knew what Dean was going to say because he had that telltale glint in those sparkling green eyes.

"How could you do it to her? How could you date and sleep with all those other girls knowing full well that you're in love with an exceptional one who wasn't one of the ones you dated? Don't deny it Harry, I know you've been in love with her since first year."

"Am I that obvious?"

"Yes! And she doesn't even know does she Harry? Bright she may be, but I don't think she has noticed your not so subtle hints."

"I haven't had the guts to tell her yet."

"Well you'd better or I'll tell her myself."

"Then I'll tell Ginny about you and Lavender."

"So you try to blackmail me, Potter? Even Ron knew you were in love with her because he was too!"

"Is this true Ron? Were you? Did you know?"

"Yes. Yes. And yes again. Why do you think I caused such a fuss on fourth year? I knew she would prefer you over me any day; you didn't need the title of school champion to be more appealing to her. I already knew she preferred you. I'd meant to ask her to the ball before stupid Krum did, but I couldn't find the right words."

At the mention of Krum Hermione squealed. She knew it was her they were talking about. Ginny tried to stifle her, unsuccessfully. They ran out of the room, but on the way they bumped into Harry and Ron as they faced off. Not only that they knocked over a chair on their way out.

"Who's there?" Ron shouted, looking a little scared.

"I have an idea. Ron, want to do some sleuthing? I thought as much. Hermione still has my cloak. Why don't you go down to the common room and get it from her? I'll try and figure out a way of getting into the girls dorms without triggering the slide."

Ron left and found Ginny in the common room, a little out of breath.

"Hi Gin. Have you seen Hermione?"

"No!" she replied a little too quickly.

"Can you see if she's in her dorm? We can't get up there as you know and Harry needs his cloak back for something."

"What does he want it for?"

"He wouldn't say. Can you get it for me?"

"Depends."

"On what?"

"On what you do for me."

"I'll get you a new set of dress robes for the Yule Ball in three weeks time."

"Deal. Wait here."

Ginny rushed up the stairs and burst into Hermione's dorm.

"Mione! Harry wants the cloak back, like now! I've got to give it to Ron in the common room."

"Bath night tonight isn't it, girls?"

"Yes, but what's that got to do with anything?"

"Shall we go then? We can pass on the cloak on our way down."

The girls gathered their bath things and prepared to make their way down to the Prefects bathroom.

At the foot of the stairs they met Ron and passed the cloak on. He thanked them, noting the towels and dressing gowns, bottles and loufa's. Oh dear. Tonight was bath night. No chance of sleuthing then.

He relayed this fact to Harry who was busy poring over the map.

"We can't do ant sleuthing tonight Harry. It's their bath night."

"So? Best time to do it. They take their time over their communal bath. They read magazines and gossip."

"You sound like you've done this before on bath night."

"I have."

"You perve!"

"Relax. They haven't gone to the Prefects bathroom. They're in Myrtle's. That one doesn't have any baths in it. Hermione's made our job so much easier."


	3. The Bathroom

"Harry…we can't spy on them."

"We've done it before and you haven't worried as much as you are now. Pull yourself together, man."

They tried to make as little noise as they could as they crept down the halls and corridors. Unfortunately Ron did what Neville usually did and forgot where the trick stair was. Well you can imagine what happened. Harry remembered and jumped it but Ron didn't. The cloak slipped off them and they were nearly seen as the girls stopped walking down the corridor below when they heard Ron go through the floor.

"Never mind. It's probably just Peeves." Lavender said and they continued on to the bathroom.

"Ron, you complete clutz. Even Neville's learnt where they are by now. Thank god this castle has Peeves in it." Harry said as he hauled him out.

The girls entered the bathroom as they neared it and they rushed to get inside before the door closed. Somehow they managed it, but they very nearly didn't.

The girls were settling themselves on the floor and were starting to set out their magazines and make up boxes which Ron had somehow overlooked when they passed him.

"Okay, so who's first for the choosing of the perfect make up for the Yule ball?" Lavender was saying.

"Yes and whoever's left gets the perfect hairdo for it." Ginny said.

"You wanna go first or shall I?" Hermione asked Parvati.

"You make up I hair."

"Yes Tarzan!" Hermione joked. "I can't wait for this night. It's gonna be even better than it was the first time we had it. Remember that one, when we were in fourth year? Well, Ginny was in third year."

"Yes, Padma and I had such a terrible time then. Well we did while Harry and Ron were our chaperones. You know that dance I had to do with Harry to lead the dancing, because he was the champion? Well I had to lead him! He had absolutely no rhythm and I could tell how nervous he was."

"Well, at the time I overheard him asking Ron why we moved around in packs. And then Ron said something about him being a dragon slayer and that, hang on, let me see if I can quote him. 'If you can't get a date for this thing then none of us have a chance!' It was that episode where Ron actually realized that I was a girl. Really hurt my feelings that did. And I only stuck with Krum for so long to annoy him."

"We suspected you did. Remember that article that described you as a 'scarlet woman' as Ron moaned to me when that Skeeter bitch wrote it."

"Aren't Padma and Luna joining us?"

"Yes, they'll be here soon. And so will Pansy and Hannah."

"Hermione, I hope you aren't talking about Pansy Parkinson. She can't be joining us."

"Yes she can, Ginny. She's actually quite nice once you talk to her when Malfoy isn't around. And I know a secret about Crabbe."

"Tell us!" they all exclaimed stopping what they were doing.

"I'll wait for the others to arrive. Well Pansy already knows since she told me. I've actually witnessed it as well as being on the receiving end of it."

"When does your dress arrive?"

"The same time as your new sari's arrive."

"Ron's paying for a new dress for me."

"Why?"

"I got him the cloak back for Harry."

"I wonder why Harry wanted it back."

"I have a hunch. Ah! Here're the others." Hermione smiled as the girls walked in and Pansy sat near her.

While Lavender was fussing over Padma's hair Ginny drew Hermione to the other end of the bathroom. Harry and Ron were more than a little curious about what they were going to say so they followed them.

"Do we tell the girls what we overheard?"

"No, not yet. I don't want to be the cause of everyone's break-ups. You do realise what would happen if we..,"

"I know. I know. I'm dumping Dean tomorrow anyway. God, boys are pigs!"

"I know. Complete animals aren't they? Well, we can't do without them."

"You don't have seven older brothers."

"No but one of them is the bane of my life. I love both my boys dearly but I do rather feel like I am their nanny instead of their friend."

They had by now raised their voices a little and wandered back to the rest of the group.

"I know what you mean," Parvati said. "One of them especially."

All the girls shared a look and said "Ron!" together. Then they all laughed.

"Harry's not so bad, he just needs a mother, and love, but Ron! He never really…"

"Grew up? Developed any kind of emotion deeper than that of a cockroach?" Ginny said grinning.

"Yes! He can be so dim sometimes that it's just infuriating."

"Mind you, I'd kill to be in your position, Hermione." Padma said.

"I would too." Luna said sadly. "At least Ronald talks to you. he thinks I'm crazy so he never talks to me unless I pluck up the courage to talk to him first, and whenever I do he snubs me."

"I could talk to him if you want. I know how much you like him. Shall we do some match making, Ginny?"

"Remember what happened last time you two played match maker? You tried to get me together with Neville!" Parvati said shuddering at her disastrous blind date with the young herbologist.

"I understand why Luna would want to be friends with them. But why do you, Padma?"

"For the same reason as Luna, only I want to get closer to Harry."

"Back off, sis, he's mine!"

"You're not even dating him! He's just using you for sex!"

Both of the Patil twins were now facing off. Only Pansy watched their quarrel; all of the other girls were far too used to their fights over boys to attend to their actual words.

Harry and Ron started chuckling quietly at the conversation they had just heard and it's absurdity, so they had to make a dash for the furthest end of the bathroom. They knocked against the last cubicle with a clatter. Hermione's head snapped up when she heard it.

_So, I was right after all, that's why Harry wanted his cloak back. Time to play…_

"How's dear old Draco doing at the moment, Pansy? He's looked a little off whenever I've been in close contact with him. Which has been quite a lot recently…" She said with an evil glance to the end of the bathroom. _This should get to him. _

All the other girls, and boys if she could see them, were staring at Hermione as though she were a Crumple-Horned Snorkack or a Blast Ended Skrewt. Not only had she enquired after Malfoy as though she felt sorry for him but she had called him by his first name.

"What?" She said looking around at them before delivering her fatal blow. "I think he's sexy."

All jaws in the bathroom including Myrtle's and the boys', barring Hermione and Pansy's, dropped. The twins blinked at her in amazement. Even Ginny looked surprised, Hermione hadn't told her about that.

Although they couldn't see it, Harry had wrenched the cloak off Ron behind the cubicle wall and was now standing in the aisle between the cubicles making faces and wild unbelieving hand gestures at Hermione. At one point he forgot he was under the cloak, presumably he had also forgotten how tall he had become, because he lifted his hands above his head and waved them around. Logically this then relieved his feet of the cloak and Hermione saw them. She raised her gaze to where she knew his eyes were and winked at him before subtly pointing at his feet. He caught on and lowered his hands. She grinned and winked at him again and turned back to the circle.

"I've had an idea. Why don't we go round the circle and say who we want to ask us to the ball. I know that some of us already have dates, lucky buggers, but I think it would be interesting to see who wants to go out with whom. I'm also interested in seeing how many times Harry's name pops up."

"No lets play Spin-The-Bottle-Truth. It's way more fun." Lavender said excitedly.

"Who'll start? Pansy, you're the guest here, why don't you start us off?"

The bottle stopped on…

"Luna! Are you really as batty as you appear to be?"

"Not in the slightest. I am actually very bright, as I suspect Crabbe to be as well, am I right? Parvati! What is actually going on between you and Harry at the moment?"

"I believe the street term for it is fuck-buddies. No strings attached sex. Hannah! Have you actually got a date for the ball yet?"

"No! And I haven't got a dress yet either!"

"Don't worry, we'll help you."

"Thanks. Okay, Ginny! I heard a story once that you and Hermione had a thing together. Is this true, did you?"

"Well, yes. We experimented with homosexuality a year ago. Lavender!" she glanced at Hermione. "Are you being faithful to Seamus?"

"Yes, of course I am!"

"No you're not! I know for a fact that you and my boyfriend are cheating on Seamus and myself."

"How do you know?"

"I have my sources. Continue please."

"Pansy! What is this story about Crabbe that we were hinted at by Hermione earlier?"

"Sorry, Pansy, it kinda slipped out."

"It's okay. It's not that shocking anyway. Vincent Crabbe is no oaf as you think he is. He is actually a gentleman and Draco is always afraid that he will show him up so he forced him to create this persona of stupidity. He's actually far cleverer than Draco and a lot nicer than Draco is. Hermione was in the library with me once and he came up to us and asked for a book on advanced charms that Hermione was just finishing with and you should have seen her face when he asked her so politely, and they talked about advanced charms and I watched her face the whole time, I have never seen her more shocked. Okay. Hermione! What do you actually feel about your two best friends?"

"Um, Ron, he's like the brother I never had, sweet though he is, and believe me he really is adorable when he's just upset me, such a gentleman, but he can be as infuriating as any boy can when he really wants to. Well, not Harry. He's different. I'm not sure how I feel about him. He's a dear boy and I can actually talk to him, which is almost impossible with Ron. But he's sometimes so clueless. He's a lost little boy, and I want to cuddle him like a mother would her long lost child. I've heard stories about what his parents were like and he is so like them that I know they would be as proud of him as I am. He's been though so much and I couldn't bear anything happening to him. But I've had to. I've had to sit by and watch as he goes through everything the world can throw at him and to see him come out as mentally damaged as he has. He doesn't show it, but he is damaged by it all and he thinks it makes him big, or that he thinks it'll upset me, so he hides it. He really isn't as brave as he appears to be. I see it all the time, even though he does a good job of hiding it from me. I feel so bad for him. I-I-I feel more for him than I can say. And he doesn't even notice me. Sure we're friends, but he doesn't know how much I care for him. I'm sorry to go on about him girls, but I can't seem to help it."

"That's perfectly alright, Hermione. We understand."

"I think I know what you're going through."

"Yeah, there's a name for that feeling. It's love. You're in love with him."

"Ginny! I am not in love with Harry!"

"Fine! You're in denial about the fact that you're in love with Harry."

"I don't blame you."

"We relinquish our claim on his affections in favour of you. It's a shame but you deserve him more than we do." The twins said at the same time.

"What do I do?"

"Ask him out!"

"Yeah, make him feel bad by asking him out, rather than him having the guts to ask you out."

"Besides, you won't ever find out how he feels about you unless you ask him out."

"Couldn't I just ask him what he feels about me."

"NO! No! You can't do that, it's like a fist class ticket to a year of awkward moments between you. Do you want that?"

"No, of course not. I really am hopeless aren't I?"

"Yes but you're…"

"Hopelessly in love, I know."


	4. Aftermath and plans

Hermione heard the sounds of someone dancing around at the far end of the bathroom, and a small chuckle. Harry must be the dancer and Ron the giggler. She looked around at the girls. They were milling around. Parvati and Padma were fussing over Hannah, while the others watched and discussed which colours worked best for her and which guy would be most compatible for her.

"Who do you think would suit her, Hermione?"

"How about Neville? He doesn't have a date yet and they share a passion for herbology. They're similar in character and temperament. I think they would do really well together."

"Well then I volunteer Hermione to be the dancing coach. She dances better than all of us. How did you get so good Hermione?"

"Last time round I was with Victor and I knew I would be on view so I practiced, with Fred Weasley."

"Freddy never told me that."

"Well, I told him not to because I was embarrassed about it. The twins taught me how to dance well and we had a lot of fun doing it."

"The twins wouldn't do it for nothing. What did you have to do to get them to teach you?"

"I- I had to…do their homework for a month and make them look halfway decent for the ball."

"You couldn't do the same for Ron?"

"No. I'd been fighting with him for ages before it and I'm not that brave! I don't want to know what is in that hair and nothing would make those hideous robes look any better."

"It might have made him feel better, and then he would have danced with me!"

"Padma, you got together with a guy from Durmstrang."

"So did you!"

"By the way, how far did you go with Krum? I never got round to asking you about it."

"He wanted to sleep with me but I drew the line just in front of it. There was lots of cuddling and wandering hands but no more than that."

"Come on Hermione! He was the most wanted boy in the area and you tell me that we did more together than you did with him?" Ginny said outraged.

"So you're still a virgin?"

"Technically, yes. I'm saving myself for the right person."

"In other words when Harry comes-a-calling."

"I never said that!"

"We all know you were thinking it."

"Fine! His name did pop into my head when I said it. Happy now?"

"Ecstatic. I'll talk to him next time we're intimate."

"I don't wanna know that! Too much info, Parvati! Anyway you said you weren't going to get intimate with him anymore because you got me to admit that I am in love with my best friend, who you happen to be shagging on the side."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Get a real boyfriend. Trust me it's better to have a relationship with a guy before you shag him."

"Tell me, which of the two of us is shagging Harry Potter?"

"You."

"And we all know that all Hermione has to do is say the word and any guy in school would gladly sleep with her."

"What?" Hermione looked at Ginny in complete confusion.

"You're a hottie. Almost every guy in school has a crush on you."

"Problem is, the guy I want to have a crush on me doesn't! The only guy I really care about doesn't like me that way."

"Girls, wanna do a makeover? Let's see if a new look will make Harry like her in the way she wants. There's a great new section on Hogsmede, that sells regular clothes and jewellery and make up and stuff."

"Yeah. Our sari's arrive tomorrow don't they? And so does Hermione's dress. We should go tomorrow and get them and do her makeover."

"She doesn't need a makeover! She's perfect as she is!" Harry hissed from behind the cubicle.

"Wait, if we're doing our shopping for the ball tomorrow then what about my dress. Ron's paying for it."

"I'll get it and square it with Ron later. Actually I think I need to get the boys to get new dress robes for themselves. Their ones are awful. I'll make 'em look sexy for the ball and get some accessories for my own outfit when the holidays get started next week."

"Curfew bell! Come on girls lets get back to our dorms."

The girls packed up and said they would go to Hogsmede after breakfast tomorrow. Hermione delayed and when the others had run from the bathroom she went to the other end of the bathroom and pulled the cloak off the boys.

"Hermione!"

"Oh, come on Ron, even you aren't that stupid. Of course I knew you were there. Had a good listen did you?"

"Oh yes. Most entertaining. As I suspect was our conversation, wasn't it Hermione."

"Okay, you caught me, Harry. Ginny and I did eavesdrop on your conversation as you did with ours. We found out exactly what we wanted to hear, except one thing. And did you hear everything you wished to hear?"

"Too much Hermione! Do you really think Malfoy is sexy?"

"I do actually. But I only revealed it to get back at Harry for eavesdropping on us. I know him so well, I knew it would get to him."

"And that you and Ginny experimented?"

"Oh, yes. Why do you think we shared a room all the time in the holidays?"

"And, what you said about Harry? Did you mean it?"

"Did it sound like I did?"

"Kinda. But you are a good actress. How do we know if you did?"

"You have so much to learn about girls. I knew Harry was there listening, am I likely to reveal something like that in front of him?"

"I'm right here you know?"

"I know Harry. If you want to know why we spied on you tonight, then it's because we were incredibly bored and we wanted to find out what boys talk about while we weren't around."

"You said there was one thing you didn't find out that you were hoping to find out. What was it?"

"The name of the girl Harry is in love with."

"We told you didn't we? Krum asked her to the ball before either of us had the chance to."

"But Krum took me to the ball, so logically-oh!"

"Yes Hermione. Oh."

"Me? You're in love with me?"

"You know for the brightest witch in the school you take a long time to catch on."

"Oh my god! Excuse me for a moment boys."

She entered one of the cubicles. She then did what can only be described as silent joy. The best way to describe it would be what the character that Laura Linney's character did in the film Love Actually when she realised the man she had been in love with since she had met him actually loved her too.

Hermione reappeared and acted like nothing had happened.

"Harry, I meant what I said to the girls."

"Technically they said it."

"Shut up, Ron."

"Hey!"

"I have to get back to my dorm. I have a makeover to get tomorrow. And I'm gonna need my beauty sleep."

"You don't need any beauty sleep."

"Cheer's Harry, neither do you! Come on. Let's get back to the house."

What Ron didn't notice was that Harry and Hermione were holding hands all the way back to the common room.


	5. Makeover

Hermione sighed as she was dragged along the Hogsmede high street. Her friends, well, her girlfriends, were dragging her down said street to receive her makeover. Well, they wanted to get their new dresses for the ball, but Hermione's makeover was the highlight.

Looking around her in a slightly bemused fashion, the shopping trip became somewhat of a blur for poor Hermione as she was dragged into one shop after another.

Later that night Harry was challenged by Ron to see who could eat the most chocolate frogs in the space of three minutes. The other boys were witnesses and they were cheering them on diligently.

Then Ginny appeared looking thoroughly pleased with herself from the girls dormitories, followed by Lavender and Parvati.

"Gentlemen, may I re introduce you to an improved Miss Hermione Granger?"

"I can't bloody well walk! I'm not coming out! You won't get me out there just to parade me around, Ginny Weasley. I'm not a poodle!" Hermione's outraged voice could be heard from the stairs where she was hiding in the shadows.

"Hermione Granger! We did not spend the last hour getting you ready just so you can hide on the staircase. Come out, coward!"

"I am not a coward!" Hermione shouted as she emerged from the stairs. "Damn it!"

"Oh my god!"

"Wow!"

Harry and Ron couldn't say anything because their mouths were stuffed with chocolate frogs but they looked at her. Ron forced his down and got up to examine her. Harry did the same but stayed in his seat, staring at her.

Ron walked around and around her. She was wearing a low cut, off the shoulder black top and a pair of low cut jeans that stopped halfway down her shin. She was also wearing a pair of black strappy heels. Hermione never wore heels, if she could possibly help it and they had never seen her figure as it was always hidden under layers of clothing. Another thing Hermione never wore was make up. Now she was. Her eyes had that smokey look to them that was a great favourite in the 1960's. The few pimples she had been cursed with were covered up with foundation and her cheeks had a rosy tint to them which didn't look like the blush that the foundation wasn't completely hiding; well, you don't put foundation on your ears, do you? Her lips were a dark, almost purple red and they had glossed them so that they stood out more. She had earrings in and a necklace that Harry had once given her for her birthday on. A couple of bangles adorned her wrists. Her hair was straight and sleek and in a half up half down do with a few loose strands hanging loosely near her face. Ron circled her and said "Nice" a few times in an approving fashion.

She stood there smiling shyly as she became aware that the whole common room had become silent as they looked at this new Hermione. Colin took a few pictures of the new look. Jaws dropped and books dropped out of people's hands and off tables. Exploding snap cards dropped from some second years' hands and exploded as they hit the floor.

The noise seemed to wake the Gryffindor's up. They gave themselves a little shake and picked up the things they had dropped.

"Do you like my new look Harry? You haven't said anything about it yet. Do you think I look nice?" Hermione asked him somewhat earnestly.

Harry opened his mouth to say something but nothing came out. Eventually, after several minutes of looking like a goldfish, he said

"You look okay, Hermione."

Her face fell and all the light seemed to have left it.

"Oh." Was all she said before bursting into tears and dashing back up the stairs. On the way over she fell and taking off her shoes ran on.

"You're a jerk, Harry. Do you know that? She went through this new look with you in mind, did you know that? She did it for you. All she wants is for you to like her. I think she looks fantastic like that and all you can say is that she looks okay? I don't understand you Harry." Ginny almost shouted with tears in her own eyes.

"I don't understand you either, mate? I think she's hot dressed like that and you hurt her feelings like you did? She says I have the sensitivity of a blunt axe but even I know that that was way out of line. Of the two of us I'd have thought you understood girls better than I did. Not completely, after all no one but girls understand girls, but better than me nevertheless. But having a sister has taught me that if they change their look then you'd better bloody well appreciate it. Her confidence is now at rock bottom because of that. You know that what you say matters more to her than all of our stunned reactions. You are a jerk Harry. I wouldn't be surprised if she never spoke to you again, I know I wouldn't." Ron stated looking outraged.

He took Ginny by the shoulder and began to lead her up to his dorm so they could talk but Harry stopped them.

"Do you think I wanted to say that? I wanted to say what I really thought of her. I wanted to say that I'd never seen her look more gorgeous. I wanted to kiss her, right there in front of everybody. But I froze. When she asked me what I thought, I honestly wanted to tell her, but I couldn't. I froze. I hate myself and I wouldn't blame her if she never wants to see me again."

Ron and Ginny had turned to look at him during his outburst. The tears that had threatened to spill over when she had spoken now fell.

"But, how could you freeze, Harry? You slay dragons and you fight old Voldy-shorts. You're the bravest person I know and you couldn't tell the girl that you've liked for like ever that you think she looks fantastic? That makes no sense."

"I know, Ron. It doesn't make sense. But there are many different kinds of bravery. I may have had courage when I faced that Hungarian Horntail, but Hermione, that is a different kind of bravery, a kind of bravery I just don't have."

"We need to do something about this, then, don't we?" Ginny said wiping away her tears as though they had offended her. "If Fred can be spared from his work have him come up here as soon as he can, Ron. We're gonna need his help. We need to work on that bravery. And somehow patch things up with Hermione, hopefully before the ball. Flitwick's put her down to sing a few songs and I know that at least one is going to be dedicated to you, we don't want that to be an angry song now do we?"

"Just great. Thanks Gin."


	6. Make up?

About a week later Hermione still hadn't spoken to Harry.

Harry spent a good deal of time watching her and trying to think of a way to make peace with her. When he tried to speak to her so that he might apologise to her for being so cool when she got her makeover. Though he had noticed that she had gone back to what she had worn before the makeover. She wore no make up, no heels, her hair was as curly as ever and her clothes covered her figure. No light was in her face and she almost cried whenever she set her deadened eyes on him.

The moment when their eyes would meet Harry would try to say he was sorry but she refused to look at him for more than ten seconds. She would catch his eye and there would seem to be a moment of hope, would she let him be her friend again? Then the moment would be gone and she would turn away as though thoroughly ashamed that she had let herself look at him.

One day he stopped her and forced her to talk to him.

"What makes you think I would ever want to talk to you again?"

"Hermione you are my best friend. You cannot now tell me that I am not yours or you wouldn't have stuck with me for the last six years. So I said one thing, it doesn't matter anyway. Ron's said much more to hurt your feelings and you never paid one bit of notice of it. What I said wasn't nasty, it was actually quite nice if you think about it."

"Nice? You call that nice? I have never felt so dejected as I did in that moment when you dashed all my hopes apart. You don't know what I went through for that makeover."

"All they did was put some make up on you and some tighter clothes. You didn't look any different from what you usually look like."

"Do you want to know the effect you've had on me this past week? Do you?" she demanded.

"I've done nothing to make you upset."

"Your arrogance is so repugnant that I can barely believe the words that emerge from your mouth. There is nothing I wish to say to you. All I ask is that you stay away from me. I never want to see you again."

Harry's face fell and then he said simply and with such complete honesty in his eyes that she felt almost willing to forgive him.

"I'm sorry Hermione. I should have said it sooner, and I would eagerly have done so, if you would have let me. I should have thought about what you were feeling when you came out in that new look. Please believe me when I say I wanted to say more. I wanted to tell you what I really thought about it."

"And what did you think about it? I mean, really?"

"I meant to say that I had never seen you look more gorgeous. You looked so different, so beautiful. I tried to say it but I couldn't. You cast me completely speechless in that moment, I was so captivated by your beauty. I can't tell you enough how gorgeous I thought you were. What I told you in that bathroom still holds true, if you will agree to come to the ball with me, I'd like you to."

Hermione suddenly hid her face in her hands and a few sobs escaped from behind her hands. Then she wiped them away and the face she raised to him had tears in the eyes, but there was a smile on her lips.

"Oh, Harry!" and she cast herself into his arms.


	7. Wizard chess

About two days before the ball Hermione found herself sitting in a quiet corner of the common room while Harry and Ron played wizard chess by the fire. They did not know she was there and she stayed very quiet.

Actually she was under the cloak again and had been because she was hiding from Ginny who was threatening to put make up on her again. Hermione did not want her face to be made of porcelain for the next week.

"So, Harry, who are you going to the ball with?" Ron asked smirking.

"Technically Hermione, I think. But she never actually said she would go with me. I have asked her and she acted like she had accepted me but she never said it. I'm not sure if she still wants to."

"Course she does! You're Harry Potter, for fuck's sake! Who wouldn't want to go to a ball with you?"

"Cheers mate! But she hasn't said any of the usual things. Like last year, when she went with George Weasley, she kept talking about it for ages before hand. Now she hasn't done that. Usually we can't shut her up on the subject."

"Ask her again, then! Ask her out again. Look, mate, the ball is in two fucking days! If you don't get your bloody act together then you'll be the loser stuck in the back of the hall without a date."

"Who're you going with then?"

"Your girlfriend happens to have talked to Luna for me and she is my date. Guess who Ginny's going with!"

"I have no clue. Tell me."

"I don't know if I should, Harry. You might…"

"What? Tell me now Ronald, or I shall force you to wear those ghastly robes you wore to the fourth year ball, permanently!"

"I'm afraid you might do that to me now, if I tell you."

"It's not a girl is it?"

"I should bloody hope not! Ok…it's Malfoy!"

Harry promptly fell off his chair in shock. Hermione sniggered quietly.

"Malfoy! Your sister is going out with a MALFOY!"

"I don't know if she's going out with him, but she is going to the ball with him."

Harry looked like he was going to explode with rage and Ron leapt from his seat clutching his bottom which had suddenly grown rather hot suddenly.

Not surprisingly… there was actually a little blue flame on his robes in that general area.

Being Ron Weasley he hadn't noticed it yet and when he eventually did he spun around like a dog chasing its tail and Hermione laughed out loud, momentarily forgetting that she was under the cloak.

Harry's head whipped round and she shut herself up quickly. He turned his attention back to Ron, who was hopping around in an amusing yet pitiful way.

"Ron! Stand still, will you? If you keep moving then I can't put out the fire! Ronald Weasly! If you don't stand still right now, I'll do something you really don't want me to do! Remember when you and the twins tried to strip me in the Gryffindor changing room?"

That made him stop. Harry doused the flame and Ron casually leant against the wall near the window. Unfortunately he was a little far away from it and he fell.

"OW!"

"OW!"

"I knew you were there! Well, I didn't know it was you but I knew SOMEONE else here!" Harry exclaimed excitedly.

"Um, hi." Hermione said with the cloak off her head and half off her shoulders.

"Hermione!" Ron cried in shock when he noticed who he was lying on.

The two stared at each other for a few seconds and then she moved to get up first. Unfortunately he didn't. She was trapped under him and he seemed in no hurry to get up.

"Would you mind getting off my girlfriend, Ron?" Harry said calmly when he couldn't bear to see them in that rather awkward position.

Ron still made no movement. She finally managed to shift his weight and stood up and handed the cloak back to Harry.

"Merlin's sake Ron, have you been slipping second helpings again? You weigh a bloody tonne! And Harry, for the record I am not your girlfriend. Not yet, anyway. And you'd better be nice to me before I give you the answer you want."

"Hermione the ball is two days away and…"

Hermione just got up and swept over to the stairs leading to the girls dorms. In the doorway she stopped and, turning to her friends looked at Harry.

"By the way, Harry, I had no idea that you used to wet your bed over Cedric Diggory, or, that you did the same over Oliver Wood, Ron!" Then she ran up the stairs before they could catch her.

"Bloody Hermione! Why did she have to eavesdrop?"

"I guess some habits are hard to break, eh Ron?"

"Stop it!"


	8. Bathtime

Hermione sighed as she and Ginny relaxed in the Prefect's bathroom.

"Are you really going with Malfoy tomorrow?"

"Yeah, he may not look it but he's a bloody good kisser!"

"Ginny!"

"What? You can't exactly complain, Mione. You used to go out with him yourself!"

Hermione thought she could hear the muffled gasps from the other end of the bathroom.

_Oh, I don't believe it! While we're in the bath? Perverts! Oh well let's mess with them a bit. If they think they'll get away with this then they're a pair of dungbombs._

Hermione turned and could almost see Harry and Ron with each other's hands covering the other's mouths.

"Ginn, come here a second. The boys are in here." She hissed.

Hermione covered her friend's mouth before she could shout the word "Perverts!"

"Don't let on we know they're there. Let's mess them up a bit." She raised the tone of her voice. "You should have seen Harry's reaction to the you and Draco thing. He nearly hit the roof."

"That doesn't surprise me much. He always was an idiot over Draco. How did you hear about it?"

"I was eavesdropping on my boys and heard it. How did Ron react?"

"He actually took it quite well."

"So…only an hour's shouting then?"

"Pretty much. What else did you find out?"

"Well, I'm beginning to question his sexuality. He made some pretty suggestive comments about what he got up to with Cedric. I'm beginning to doubt whether I should still consider going out with him."

"Well, he could be bi. You never can tell. I thought he was too manly to be gay."

"He's not manly! Have you ever had a really sensitive talk with him? I've known him for so long that he becomes a complete girl when he's alone with me."

"I hate to slander my brother, but so could Ron."

"But he does try to hide it, Harry does the whole emo thing. It's actually really hot, sometimes."

"Mione! Is that a way to talk in front of your girlfriend? Now you've upset me!"

"Come here and I'll kiss it better."

Ginny waded back over and Hermione kissed her on her lips.

Hermione's tongue played around Ginny's lip and begged for entrance, which was granted. Their tongues danced around each other before Ginny's decided it was not going to do that and instead explored the velvety softness of her friend's mouth. Hermione moaned in response and pulled Ginny closer to her.

Ginny was now sitting on Hermione's lap in the large bathtub. Her hands were running over Hermione's breasts and Hermione's arms were squeezing her bottom gently. Both were emitting moans of pleasure frequently and this was torturing the boys.

Harry was trying to hide his erection and Ron looked like he was about to be sick. He tried to look away but his body refused to obey.

The girls suddenly stopped and Ginny got off Hermione and settled on the other side of the bath.

"Feel better?" Hermione asked.

"Much. Thanks to you babe." Ginny grinned.

They sat in silence for a little while and then burst into gales of laughter.

"Oh boys!" Hermione called. "I know you're there. You can come out now."

The boys came out and removed the cloak. Both of them looked very sheepish. Harry's hands still covered his groin.

"What's with the hands, Harry? Drop them."

He did so. He still had an erection. The girls tried to suppress their giggles.

"Shut up! You did this to me!"

"I knew you would react to it, but not in that way!"

"Ginny, rearrange your bubbles please. You're my little sister and I do not wish to see that much of you!"

The girls laughed again and the boys sat down near the water's edge.

"How long were you listening, anyway?" Ginny asked them.

"Not long." Harry started.

"Too long!" Ron said at the same time.

The others shot Ron a questioning look.

"Do you think I wanted to see my little sister make out with my best friend who happens to be a girl!"

"Would you prefer it if I told you I'd lost my virginity to Draco Malfoy?" Ginny said.

"You what?"

"You heard me. Hermione and I have also come close to going all the way, but I think the look on your face stopped us."

"What?"

"Whenever we came close the image of your disgusted face swam into view and we were so repulsed by your ugly mug that we couldn't continue."

Pause.

"Hey!"

"Okay, I think we've tortured them enough, Gin. You can clear out and leave us to our bath now. Oh, and Harry, you're going to have to do something extra special to get me to go to the ball with you after your little stunt in here. Bye now!"

The boys left hastily.

"We really can be evil sometimes, do you realize that Mione?"

"Come on, you can't tell me that you didn't enjoy that?"

"Let's see, my two best friends, who just happen to be boys, spy on me while I'm in the bath. Mind you, giving Harry an erection was fun, wasn't it?"

"Wanna try again?"


	9. Hermione´s date

When Hermione and Ginny got back to the common room they noticed Harry and Ron glaring at them. Hermione whispered something to Ginny and they went up to the girls dorms. A moment later they reappeared having disposed of their bath things.

Since it was very late there weren't very many people in the common room. Harry and Ron were there and the Weasley twins and Lee Jordon. Hermione and Ginny headed for the twins and Lee.

George exchanged looks with Fred as the girls approached. Fred nodded and mumbled something to Lee who grinned.

Fred and Lee took Ginny slightly away from George and Hermione once they were all together.

"Look George, Harry is being a right tosser at the moment. Want to get back at him?" Hermione hissed.

"Always. What has he done?"

"He and Ron spied on us in the bath."

George let out a huge bellow of laughter and Fred looked over to see what the commotion was.

"Do you have a date for the ball, George?"

"No. I never got round to asking anyone."

"Will you go to the ball with me?"

A wide grin spread itself over George's face. He nodded and then glanced over at Harry. He called Ginny back over to them and whispered something to her.

"Come on 'Mione. I think it's time to go get our beauty sleep. Don't you?"

"What are you talking about, Ginny? We don't need beauty sleep. We're stunning anyway."

"This is true, but I'm tired."

Ginny dragged Hermione up the stairs.

Fred and George came over to the sofa by the fire where Ron and Harry were and plopped themselves down onto it.

"Well, that's that sorted. I have a date for the ball, now all we need is to find you a date, Fred. Oh and you of course, Harry."

"What do you mean? Who is your date?" Ron asked looking very perplexed.

"Hermione. Who else do you think?"

"You don't need to worry about getting me a date, bro. I have one already."

"Who is it this year?"

"Parvati Patil."

"You know what, next year we should each go with on of those twins."

"That's not a good idea, George. Ron and I went with them and they really weren't that great as dates."

"I shall tell them you said that Harry. And my guess is they won't be too pleased with you."

"Oh no, don't do that. They'll be after my blood if you do that."

"That's what I'm hoping."

"You really are evil aren't you George?"

"If I thought you meant that I would never tease you again."

George grinned and Ron hissed at Harry.

"Come on, mate, open Quidditch hoop."

But Harry apparently didn't see it that way and refused to rise to George's baiting, much to everyone's disappointment.

Later they went up to bed somewhat grumpily.

Ginny and Hermione went down the next morning and hid in the safety of the girls staircase while Harry ranted on to Ron in the common room.

"How dare she do that to me? She knew I was going to take her to the ball and she has to go and ask George? What is that about? Does she fancy him? She does, doesn't she? She knew what I feel for her so she should bloody well have had the decency to say no!"

Ron yawned.

"Harry, will you shut up for a moment, for Merlin's sake! You have been going on about this for at least three hours. You're my best mate and I love you but please just give it a rest! I have it on good authority that she asked George out, anyway."

"Excuse me? My Hermione asked that complete sleez out? He doesn't deserve her. I deserve to be with her. I should be with her."

Hermione realised she had heard enough.

"For your information, Potter," she spat at him marching out from her hiding place. " I am going to the ball tomorrow with George whether you like it or not and since when am I 'your' Hermione? I do not belong to anyone. Also who I go out with is none of your freaking business so keep your ugly mug out of my personal life, got it? Come on Gin, let's go find Fred and George. Coming Ron?"

"Sure, beats staying here and listening to Harry slag off my brother and moan about you. See you later Harry."

"Damnit!" Harry shouted in extreme annoyance.


	10. Breakfast and Snowballs

Harry glared at the Weasley twins when he entered the great hall ten minutes later. They smirked the Malfoy smirk back at him. Draco, who was sitting next to Ginny nearby them saw the smirk and who it was aimed at.

"Where did you learn to smirk like that? That's the patented Malfoy smirk!"

"We learnt from the best." The twins raised their glasses to Draco.

Harry sat with Seamus and Dean as far from his close friends as he could. Dean exchanged a puzzled look with Seamus.

"What did you do?" he said accusingly.

"What makes you think I did anything wrong?"

"Hello? You're sitting apart from all your best friends. You messed up didn't you? I knew it. You always mess up."

"No I don't. Ok, so this time I messed up royally. But I don't always."

"Look did you settle Hermione as your date for tomorrow?"

"No!" Harry wailed. "She's going with George!"

"What? Are they going out?"

"I don't know. I don't think so."

"Harry looks super pissed this morning. Care to tell me what happened?" Draco asked Ron, but Hermione answered.

"Two things really. Well three. I caught Harry and Ron eavesdropping on Ginny and I in the bath last night. He found out about you and Ginny. And I asked George to go to the ball with me instead of him."

"And he woke me up at five in the morning to rant about it. He said some horrible things about you George. He's not going to forget this."

"So, are we gonna forgive him?" Fred looked at the group around him.

"No. Not yet. He's been a prig recently and he needs to be taught a lesson."

"Are you sure you weren't sorted into Slytherin?"

"Oh I can be a lot worse. Yesterday Ginny and I gave Harry an erection because he was eavesdropping on us in the bath."

"Didn't Ron also eavesdrop?"

"Yes, but we made him feel sick."

"You really do belong in Slytherin."

"Possibly. Girls, we should prepare early for the ball tonight. We want to be shimmering after all."

"Oh no, Miss Granger. You must come to me. I want to warm your voice up for the ball. And you can get ready with us." Professor Flitwick squeaked from behind them.

"Oh yes, I forgot I was singing. I had a few ideas, but I'm reconsidering them. I was going to sing a love song for Harry, but I think that would be inadvisable. Any ideas what I could sing as a replacement?"

Everyone thought for a moment, before the light bulb went on above Hermione's head.

"Wait! I've got it! Ladies, wanna give Godric's Girls an airing?"

"What's Godric's Girls?"

"Just a little something we've been doing in secret. What do you say girls?"

"Alright. If you think we're ready."

"Oh, we're ready. Ready, willing and able. Shall I go tell Flitwick the news? And then we can get stuck into that snowball fight."

Ten minutes later the snowball fight got underway. As usual it was girls vs. guys. And as usual the girls were winning by a long way. This was mainly due to the girls' star performers, Hermione and Ginny. Ginny, in particular, was feeling particularly vindictive towards male-kind. The boys were rapidly being forced back into their barracks and the girls were celebrating their sweeping victory, when a snowball hit Hermione on the side of the face. The boys hadn't thrown it; they were too busy cowering to fight back.

Steadily Hermione turned, the snowball dripping down into her shirt. Harry had thrown it. Oh he was so going to pay for that. There had been ice in that one… put there on purpose.

"Harold James Potter! How DARE you?! This really takes the biscuit. After everything you've done to me this week!" Hermione's cheek was red and now a small trickle of blood was slowly creeping down where the ice had cut it. She put a hand up and wiped some of it away, looking at it her fist clenched until the knuckles were white.

Harry paled and ran for it. Voldemort had nothing on a severely pissed off Hermione Jane Granger.


End file.
